


love

by bleakmidwinter



Series: Thin Line Between [1]
Category: Rope (1948)
Genre: M/M, Romance, Squabbling, trouble with communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleakmidwinter/pseuds/bleakmidwinter
Summary: Brandon has trouble saying it.
Relationships: Phillip Morgan/Brandon Shaw
Series: Thin Line Between [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107305
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41





	love

“I love you.”

“I’m eating my breakfast, Phillip.” 

Phillip glares at him from across the table. His plate is empty and he’s been sitting still like a statue for the latter half of the past hour. 

Brandon has kept his nose in the paper. And he’s been rather slow at consuming his toast. In fact, it’s gone cold, and the butter is no longer anything resembling delicious. It is merely a contributing factor to the sogginess of the toast. 

It takes only a few seconds of silence for Phillip to start bristling like a rabid dog.

“You’re cruel.”

Brandon looks up from the paper, folding it emphatically. “I’m eating,” he says, and gets up to throw the remainder of his food in the trash, and the dishes in the kitchen sink. 

“And now I’m not.”

Phillip follows Brandon into the living room, abandoning his dishes on the dining table. 

“So that’s it then? You don’t love me?”

Brandon swerves around and Phillip nearly rams into his chest at the suddenness of it. “You worship the negative spaces in conversations, don’t you? I’ve said nothing. I don’t see why I am expected to say anything at all.”

“Because we haven’t, we’ve never _said…_ ” Phillip chokes up on his words. “Brandon, I’ve been by your side for nearly five years now, don’t you think it can be said?” 

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal of this, Phillip.” 

Brandon turns back around to make his way to his desk. He sits down and begins sorting through his work papers. Phillip looms over him like weeds would over a blade of grass. “If I said it back would you leave me alone?” 

“I just want to know if you feel the same.” 

“Phillip, you know I care for you,” Brandon lets out a shaky sigh, frustrated beyond measure. “I’m not the one you should be looking towards to adhere to conventions and traditions. I don’t see the reason one should put so much power into a meaningless jumble of words.”

“Says the philosopher,” Phillip snarks. He leans against the desk, a bit too close for Brandon’s comfort at the very moment. “And don’t tell me you’re not going to say it back due to conventions. That’s the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“As if you’d walk out the door if I told you I didn’t l-love you.” Brandon stutters over the word and resists the urge to curse himself for it. 

Phillip shrugs, staring off towards the dining room. “Maybe not, but I might think about it.” 

Brandon’s gaze flicks upward, a dangerous glint in his eyes. After a moment’s consideration, Phillip runs a hand through his hair to calm him. 

“You know I wouldn’t.” He pauses thoughtfully. “Perhaps this means more to me than it means to you, but I prefer affirmations in verbal language. As convincing as you are in the physical kind.” 

Brandon softens, a smile forming. 

“I loved you before I knew you, Phillip.” 

A breath catches in Phillip’s throat. His hand pauses in Brandon’s hair. Brandon pulls it down so he can kiss his knuckles. 

“Now allow me to get back to work before you begin to irritate.”

**Author's Note:**

> don't ask me why i wrote this, i'm quarantined and i'm too lazy to do more than 500 words but i wanted to capture them


End file.
